Saturday racing on centre stage here, and there is a whole heap of racing around the country to keep you entertained throughout the afternoon. Don’t pretend like you have anything else to do, it’s the middle of winter! The features at Rosehill are the two listed events on the card, being the Jack W J Mckell Cup, and the Civic Stakes. It’s a heavy track again on Saturday, so factor that into your form. The G3 Sapphire Stakes at Doomben is the feature up north, our analyst likes Baccarat Baby in that race. Meanwhile they’ll be going around at Caulfield and Morphettville as usual, and of course Belmont in the west later in the afternoon. Check out PlayUp form analyst Lewis Willoughby’s top five picks of the day below.
Caulfield R2 #2 Kaplumpich $4.20 at PlayUp – Really deserves to win this prep, and probably gets his best chance to do that today. Was wide no cover at The Valley last start, so willing to forgive, while two runs back he savaged the line behind Heptagon, which looks a nice form reference. Gets in well here with a claim for T Stockdale, and looks to map midfield or closer with cover from barrier eight. Sticking to the mile suits as well, he has won at the distance previously and is running as though he needs this further trip. Surely today is his day. Selections: 2-11-1-6
Caulfield R5 #3 Merited $3.30 at PlayUp – On the quick back up from Flemington last week, where she ran 3rd in the Listed Creswick Stakes over 1200m down the straight. Her run was simply huge, travelling in clearly inferior going on the far side of the straight, and holding ground strongly through the line behind the talented Front Page. Sticks to 1200m here and finds a much easier race, she hardly even rises in weight either! Looks perfectly placed. Selections: 3-4-5-8
Caulfield R7 #12 Sam’s Image $8.00 at PlayUp – Specking this one at a touch of value here in a wide open race, where the favourite Alfa Oro looks too short for mine. Sam’s Image comes here fresh off an 8-week let up after starting as favourite in heavy going at Sandown, sitting wide without cover and not being able to go on. That start is easily excusable, and the break between runs will surely help. Gets blinkers on here for the return, and maps to stalk a hot tempo in behind the speed from barrier 9. Carries next to no weight after the claim, and is 4:1-1-0 at the track and distance. Overs! Selections: 12-3-9-7
Rosehill R1 #1 Frosty Rocks $2.35 at PlayUp – If you look up the word dominant in the dictionary, you will find a replay of Frosty Rocks’ last start victory at Warwick Farm. He led them up at a quick clip, and extended under hands and heels to win by over 8L! He lines up here with two weeks between runs, and faces very similar heavy track conditions to last start. Up to 1400m won’t hurt either, and love the fact that Nash Rawiller sticks aboard. He’s won two from three this campaign, racing in very good form and I can see him going on with it again today. Selections: 1-5-7-3
Doomben R2 #8 Cellarmaid $3.30 at PlayUp – This very consistent filly comes off a very good run in the G2 The Roses last start, where she defied her long price and ran extremely well behind the very talented Vanna Girl. It brought up her second consecutive placing for the campaign, and shows to me she is in very good form. Back down to easier grade here and extremely well-weighted, as long as she gets a touch of luck from barrier 10 I can see her winning this. Selections: 8-2-3-6
